


Gravity Well

by DontBeJelly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Maggie and Maria are fraternal twins, Maggie replaces Tommy Oliver in Power Ranger canon, Raptor Riders, References to Mind Control, References to Torture, Twin Verse, the 'ships are background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-26 23:09:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21108707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontBeJelly/pseuds/DontBeJelly
Summary: Before Maria Hill was a SHIELD Agent, she was the Yellow Lightspeed Rescue Ranger. But those days are far behind her. Her twin, however, never really stopped being a Power Ranger…





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to length, I made this it's own thing. Cause I can. :P

When Maria and Maggie were fourteen years old, they were torn apart by their judgmental father. Maggie was sent to live with an aunt. Maria was stuck with a father who watched her every move as if she were next to commit a crime. Maria spent a long time hating her twin but eventually figured out how to set aside her feelings surrounding Maggie. She never reached out or went looking for her, however. Maria was almost certain Maggie would hate her for being able to keep their parents in her life. Maria didn’t have it in her to explain how much life had sucked to someone who was kicked out.

After Maria saved the world from demons when she was barely old enough to legally drink alcohol, she was picked up by SHIELD. Only one person knew the details of her time in Mariner Bay, and Director Fury wasn’t inclined to tell anyone. Maria worked hard, proved herself time and again, and eventually lost touch with her old Ranger team. They all had lives and careers. People grew apart. It happened.

Besides, Maria really didn’t want to get pulled into anymore Power Ranger shenanigans. SHIELD was crazy enough and getting crazier by the year. One of the few pros to sticking with SHIELD was finding the one woman who wouldn’t question some of Maria’s more ingrained paranoid habits or vague interest in Power Ranger news. Natasha Romanoff had her own quirks, after all.

As for Maggie, she saw how quick her sister was to pull away from all things Ranger related. Given Maggie’s continued work with every Ranger team, she respected her sister’s silent wishes to be left out of the loop. Besides, the organization Maria worked for seemed like the kind to ask a LOT of questions of a long lost twin. Maggie had enough on her plate.

Then Thor came to Earth with a warning for SHIELD.

“Asgard monitors only the nine realms connected by Yggdrasil. Midgard is one of those realms, and Heimdall has seen something that requires our attention. There is a Midgardian dabbling in energies beyond comprehension.”

“Why do you look constipated?” Stark asked.

Thor sighed. “According to the scholars, this person is rearranging physics in ways even they cannot understand. This person is to be contained, relocated to Asgard, or eliminated.”

“Do you have a location or a name?” Rogers asked.

“Aye. Reefside, California. Margarita Sawyer.”

Maria thought she had kept her cursing inside her head. Apparently not, if the way everyone was looking at her was anything to go by. She shoved away from the conference table. “Avengers, do not leave New York.”

“Hill.” Fury’s voice was half order, half suggestion, because the man knew far too much, some days. “You have forty-eight hours.”

“Yes, sir.” She was too busy figuring out the logistics of crossing the country to see Fury wave Natasha and Clint into following her.

How Maria managed to sleep on the Quinjet trip, she didn’t know. At least the Avengers weren’t so obvious in tailing her that the pilot picked up on them. She was honestly surprised Natasha hadn’t slipped in with the cargo. It was probably for the best. Maria had told her of estranged parents and a sister, but only the bare basics. Natasha hadn’t asked for more, though Natasha might have looked into them herself.

Maria never spoke of Mariner Bay to anyone.

It was late the next morning when Maria pulled up to a house off in the woods of Reefside. It was a beautiful place, she had to give Maggie that. Lots of light, pleasant breeze, and away from people without being obscenely far from a grocery store. The very old, very worn down Jeep didn't seem like Maggie at all.

Taking a deep breath, Maria knocked on the front door and stuffed her hands in her jean pockets. She had dressed down, not wanting to show up as a Fed from the get-go. Maybe it wouldn’t be easier to talk to Maggie like this, but perhaps it would be.

Maria hated just how uncertain she felt about all this. She was the second in command of a black ops agency. She could handle one person she didn’t even know anymore.

Maggie stopped at the sight of Maria. It took her a moment to push the screen door open and join Maria outside. Maria leaned against the rail, and Maggie crossed her arms, settling against the door.

“You wanna tell your friend to get off my roof?”

Maria raised an eyebrow. “Romanoff.”

The assassin landed beside Maria on silent feet. How Maggie knew Natasha was there, Maria wanted to know. Natasha was too good to be detected. Natasha boosted herself to sit on the rail next to Maria.

“What’s up?” Maggie asked. She wasn’t precisely guarded, but she was definitely not welcoming.

“I’ve got a friend of a friend who thinks you’re setting out to be the next big trouble maker. Wanted to talk to you first about it, keep this place from being blasted off the map.”

Maggie nodded like she wasn’t surprised someone figured out what she was doing. “Yeah, we can talk. How much do you trust your shadow?”

Maria didn’t hesitate. “I trust her with everything.”

“Even Mariner Bay?”

Maria didn’t twitch. She didn’t.

Maggie kept her eyes locked on Maria’s. “When we were fifteen, Aunt Theresa moved us out to Angel Grove when she got a better job.”

Maria knew Maggie wasn’t bringing this up for shits and giggles. “No one I work with now has in-depth knowledge of Mariner Bay.”

Natasha knew they were talking around a subject, and she had a sinking feeling she knew what that subject was. There was only one secret those two cities had in common. But she remained silent. She signaled Clint to stay back yet, signaled him they were safe. It wasn’t a signal Maggie would be able to track or tell.

Maggie slowly reached into her pocket and handed over a gold coin. Maria recognized the Dragon Zord symbol. She studied the brief (at the time) history of Earth’s Power Rangers when she was one. That Maggie had this coin, that she was in Angel Grove during the attacks…

“I wish I could’ve been there with you.” Maria would’ve given everything, anything, to fight beside her sister, to protect her. Instead, Maggie had to face all of that hell in high school without her, on top of everything else.

Maggie shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Maria returned the coin. “You’re doing something related.”

Maggie nodded. “There’s a chance someone might be pissed at me. I’m preparing.”

“How can I help?”

Maggie was surprised.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “I think you mean, how can we help?”

“I think I mean, I can’t ask you to take this on, on top of everything else.”

Natasha gave her a dry smile. “Where you go, so goes my country.”

Maria sighed. “Why are you like this?”

“Weird childhood.”

Maggie cleared her throat. “Are you sure? I was under the impression you don’t involve yourself with this stuff anymore.”

“My career has been nothing but stuff like this.” Maria shrugged. “Just without the inclination to a specific color.”

Maggie studied her twin. She knew Maria was committed to seeing through the tough stuff, knew Maria won’t bail if things get really fucking weird and crazy. But Maggie still wasn’t sure about their own relationship. “Okay. I’ll show you what I’ve got.” She glanced at Natasha. “Both of you, if she’s good for it.”

Maria nodded once. “I never doubt her.”

“Except that one time,” Natasha said as she followed them inside, signaling Clint that things were still clear.

“You had a concussion and severe blood loss,” Maria reminded her. “I had every reason to doubt you.”

Maria traded a look with Natasha as they descended into a basement that went further than any real basement should. The lab didn’t look any more complicated than what Stark had, but there was something in the air that reminded Maria of the Aquabase. Maggie stopped in front of a table and motioned to the devices laid out in various stages of completion. Maria hasn’t been around Ranger technology in years, but she still recognized the devices for what they were.

“You’re making morphers.” Maria felt her brain shut down. Making morphers wasn’t exactly out of the realm of possibility; her old morpher was manmade. But her twin was making them. In a basement. “Who the FUCK is after you?!”

Maggie looked vaguely embarrassed. “So, I got a degree in paleontology…”


	2. Chapter 2

Two months after Maria and Maggie started to reconcile….

“What do you mean, Maggie’s vanished?” Maria demanded as she got up from her desk.

The kid on the other end of the call stuttered. “I mean Doc Sawyer is GONE. She didn’t show up to Kira’s gig yesterday, then wasn’t in school today, and the Raptors haven’t been let out for a run today-”

“Anyway,” a new, female voice said, having obviously taken the phone. “We were told that if anything ever happened to her, we were to call this number. So that’s what we’re doing.”

“I’m in L.A.,” Maria said, heading for the Quinjet hanger. “I’ll be there in an hour. Do not go looking for trouble.” Maria ended the call and started to tap out a text to Clint and Natasha. [Wheels up in ten. We’re going to Reefside.]

She received a thumbs up from Clint and a question from Natasha. [The team?]

[Warn them, but Maggie better hope they’re not needed.] Because, honestly, if Maria had to bring down the Avengers to deal with Reefside, she was going to strangle her sister for botching an archeology dig so severely as to create an arch-nemesis.

* * *

“I’m Maggie Sawyer, and if you’re watching this, then something’s seriously wrong.”

Maria examined her sister in the video. It was recent, after Maria’s visit a few months ago. Maggie was wearing the shirt she had stolen from Maria during the weekend she and Thor spent working out the logistics of a human building Power Ranger morphers. 

“This video is a confidential recording only to be viewed in case of an emergency. What you are about to see is the story of my life.”

Connor groaned. “Not more dinosaur bone stories.” He flinched when Kira whacked and shushed him.

“This is the history of the Power Rangers of Earth.”

“Okay, un-yawn.”

Next to Maria, Clint shook his head in amusement.

“My story begins in Angel Grove…”

Five minutes later, Maria wished more than ever she had tried harder to stay by her twin’s side. Even if Maria hadn’t been part of the fight in Angel Grove, she could’ve at least helped her. As much as Maria had hated what Maggie had done when they were kids, she had come to realize their father’s actions were not Maggie’s fault. It had been one of the harder pills to swallow when she realized she wanted Natasha as more than a friend.

“Our science teacher is the oldest living Power Ranger,” Connor said as someone else entered the lab.

Maria turned around to see another woman, worried and wary.

“Not the oldest,” the short brunette said, “just the best.”

“Lucy?” Ethan asked, incredulously. “How did you get in here?”

“More to the point,” Kira said, “what do you know about any of this?”

“I know Maggie is in trouble,” Lucy said. “And we are the only people who can help her.” She walked over to Maria, Clint, and Natasha and held out her hand. “Lucy Lane. I’ve been helping Maggie study the Ranger energy since grad school.”

Maria shook the offered hand and gave her name. “I’m Maggie’s sister. We represent an agency with similar goals.”

Natasha and Clint only gave their first names. The fact they stuck with their real ones and not lies was kind of surprising. Maria wasn’t expecting them to trust three kids and a stranger so quickly.

“Maggie did say something about an outside party showing up if things got out of control here.” She turned to look at the Rangers. “I helped Maggie build the morphers.”

“Okay,” Kira said, “you know who we are, you know what we are, do you know where Doc Sawyer is?” 

“I have a pretty good idea.” Lucy pulled a disc out of her bag with yesterday’s date and a time stamp on it and headed for the computer.

Maria honestly didn’t care that her sister was grown and used to this kind of life. Watching Maggie get taken by monsters was never going to sit well with her.

“Why didn’t she just morph?” Conner asked. “She’s a Power Ranger.”

“Not anymore,” Lucy said. “Oh, you haven’t gotten that far, have you?” She started the video diary again.

Maria thought her nine months as a Power Ranger were rough. Maggie spent four years gaining and losing powers, leading a team, and dealing with evils more potent than the last. It was months after graduating high school that Maggie finally walked away. Maria wasn’t even through basic training by the time Maggie was done saving the world.

“Maggie went to college, where she met yours truly,” Lucy grinned, just a little. “But when she found the Dino Gems, she knew she couldn’t escape the Power for long. She started to network with other teams, created lines of communication, and we started work on building the Dino Morphers.”

“Seeing as how I don’t want this to be the end of the line for her,” Maria said, “how do we find her?”

“Can we find an invisi-portal?” Kira asked. “They’re all over the city. We could use one to get to Mesogog’s lab.”

“I’ve been working on a tracking program,” Lucy said, “but I need more time.”

“While you’re doing that,” Connor said, “what are we supposed to do?”

“Watch more of your heritage,” Lucy said. “You might learn something.” She got up and headed to the other side of the lab. Maria followed, Natasha at her side. Clint nodded at the kids, silently saying he’d keep an eye on them.

Maria really, really didn’t want to be near the teenagers when the video reached her team. She had told Natasha the night they confronted Maggie. She owed her that much. Natasha, thankfully, understood why some secrets were necessary, even the ones that made someone a hero.

Clint was going to give her such shit about wearing yellow. She was going to have to assign him to training rookies. Such was the life of a Deputy Director. 

“How can we help?” Maria asked.

“Either of you know anything about quantum mechanics?” Lucy asked, obviously not expecting an answer.

Natasha shrugged. “A little more than the bare basics, but nothing fancy.”

Lucy considered her for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, so, this is what we’re looking for…”

The science went a little above Maria’s head, so she left them to it and went to investigate the snuffling and scratching behind a curved wall. Three colorful, mechanical dino heads popped up over heavy metal fencing as she approached. Ah. The raptors. Seriously, why hadn’t Maggie stuck to normal Zords? 

Maria hoped her past as a Ranger, and her similarities to Maggie would help her here. She reached out slowly to the yellow Raptor. Maria hadn’t interacted with anything connected to the Morphing Grid in years, but she knew better than to think mechanical didn’t mean sentient. If this Raptor didn’t like her, she was going to lose a hand no matter what her status.

Fortunately, she still had an affinity for the color yellow.

“Hey, buddy,” Maria soothed as ran her hand over the surprisingly warm snout. “Kira said you haven’t been outside in a few days."

The Raptor perked up at the sound of Kira’s name.

“Tell you what. If you promise to listen to me, we can go out to the woods.”

The swishing tail went still in the stall behind the Raptor. Everything about the small Zord seemed to calm. Okay. Hopefully, Maria wasn’t being tricked into letting a disobedient apex predator out into a lab filled with trigger happy fighters.

Maria shoved at the locking mechanism and had a feeling very few people could actually open the stalls. The small tingle in her hands wasn’t from strain, that was for sure. The Raptor stepped out and shook itself before following Maria out to the lab.

“Nice shadow,” Natasha drawled. Of course, she wasn’t surprised. Perceptive asshole.

“Holy shit, you got Ikter to behave?” Lucy demanded.

The Raptor snorted in response and rested his chin on Maria’s head.

“Aw, Ikter, look at you making friends.” Kira came over and gave the Raptor a firm pat on the back. “You just like Rangers, don’t you, boy?”

“I do NOT regret missing out on that kind of action,” Lucy muttered.

“You said they haven’t been let out since yesterday,” Maira told Kira. “Keeping a raptor on task is probably easier than some humans I know.”

“I was under the influence!” Clint protested.

“You’ve been sober since Bangladesh.”

He grumbled under his breath. 

Kira smiled at Maria. “If you really don’t mind taking him outside, that’d be great.”

“I need to walk for a bit, myself.” Usually, Maria loved to dig into the details of planning a mission. When it came to Ranger operations, however, often the plan was to get to a location and then hit everything until it stopped moving. Since she wasn’t inclined to learn the science of getting to Mesogog’s lab, she’d settle for hitting things when it was time.

If Maggie were very, very lucky, Maria wouldn’t whap her upside the head for being kidnapped by the bad guys. Again. 

* * *

“All three of you heading for Mesogog’s lab would leave Reefside defenseless,” Maria said once an invisi-portal was found. “And sneaking in will be far more effective than barging through the front doors.”

“One of us isn’t enough to stay here,” Kira said, “but we shouldn’t go to the lab alone, either.”

Maria looked at Clint and Natasha. Clint shook his head, saying, “No way am I going through a portal and into the monster’s den. Sounds like a great way to get my head fucked with again. I’ll stay here with two of the kids, maybe see if Stark and Rhodes feel like flying up from L.A.”

Ethan stared at him. “Stark and Rhodes? Like, Tony Stark and Colonel Rhodes? Like Ironman and War Machine?”

“Maybe,” Clint said, shrugged. “Wanna find out?”

“I’m staying here!”

Kira sided with Maria and Natasha. “We Yellows should stick together.”

“I really, really don’t want to go to an island surrounded by water,” Connor said as he inched towards Ethan and Clint.

Ethan gave him a look. “You can’t swim.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Lucy stepped in between the two groups before the boys could get revved up. “Okay. Maggie and I were hoping to get an actual test drive out of the new cycles, but I have a feeling everything from here on out is going to be field-tested in an emergency.” She tapped a code into a button pad on a wall. The stone slid away to reveal motorcycles that resembled the raptors. “The raptors are good in a fight. These will get you around Reefside faster.”

The boys were excited, and Clint had a gleam in his eye. Natasha was quick to catch his attention and said, “Do not break it.”

“I won’t!”

“You broke a helicarrier.”

“Again, under the influence!”

She just grinned at him and looked up at Shelly as the Raptor stopped beside her. Maria could hear Clint grumbling about Natasha and dangerous friends. Ikter once again settled his head on Maria’s, and Emmy seemed content to let Kira take her into battle.

Connor stood in front of his Raptor and gave the metal neck a vigorous rub. “You keep her safe and bite all the bad guys, okay, girl?”

The Raptor trilled in response and snuffed his hair. Connor and Ethan were soon enamored with the bikes. Lucy rummaged around a storage closet before returning with three black helmets, which she handed over to the Shield agents.

“These will protect your identity and allow you to communicate with morphed Rangers. Give me a few minutes to find a couple of blade blasters, and you should be good to go.”

Clint retreated to a corner to call the Avengers and give them an update. Kira morphed so Maria and Natasha could test the comms. Lucy returned with slate gray weapons.

“These are leftover from Angel Grove, but they still work, according to Maggie.” Lucy showed them how to go between the gun and dagger modes. “Supposedly she calibrated them to deal with Tyrannodrones, but I wasn’t there, so I don’t know if that’s true. But it’ll hurt them either way.”

With weapons, communications, and transport ready, Lucy uploaded the coordinates to an invisi-portal into the Raptor Riders. Maria and Natasha climbed onto their Raptors and followed Kira out into the woods. Once outside, the Raptors took off at speeds neither Shield agent was expecting. Maria did her best to relax into the Raptor’s gait while also holding on for dear life. In less than five minutes, there were on the beach. The air churned and distorted, where the invisi-portal was supposed to be. 

“Are you sure about this, Natasha?”

“A half-hidden island covered in dinosaur monsters made by a mad scientist. Who is also part dinosaur.” She shrugged. “Sure. It’ll be fun.”

“Okay,” Kira said, psyching herself up. “We go in, we grab Doc Sawyer, and we get out. We don’t blow up the enemy base no matter how much I want to.”

“The problem with blowing enemy bases,” Natasha said, “is you usually end up caught in the explosion.”

“Why does it sound like you’re speaking from experience?”

Natasha didn’t answer. Instead, she urged Shelly for the invisi-portal. Maria sighed and followed, Kira on her heels. Once in an empty hall of Mesogog’s lab, Maria ran a hand up and down Ikter’s neck.

“We have to be as quiet as possible, okay?”

The answering growl was low, and the nod unmistakable. Kira led the way, being the one in Ranger armor and able to withstand a more direct hit. Maria leaned close against Ikter’s neck. Natasha brought up the rear, murmuring in Russian to Shelly.

When the first group of Tyrannodrones appeared, Maria learned she wouldn’t have to worry too much about her safety. Ikter was ready and eager to fight. She wasn’t sure who was faster; her trigger finger or Ikter’s jaws. Maria supposed it didn’t matter as long as the job got done.

* * *

Maggie heard the fighting before she saw her rescuers. She was kinda happy the kids were here, even if it meant Lucy had encouraged them to come here instead of staying in the city. Maggie’s kids were great, but they didn’t have the brains to find invisi-portals. She was going to have a long, long talk with her girlfriend about priorities.

When Tyrannodrones were tossed into the lab, Maggie looked up in time to see Kira charge into the room, her Thundermax saber leading the way. Then came a body Maggie wasn’t expecting. Even with a helmet, Maggie would recognize Maria anywhere. Her head thumped back down.

Oh, Maggie was so dead. Maria was going to kill her.

“This better not become a habit,” Maria said as the restraints were released. 

“I don’t actually _enjoy_ being held at the mercy of someone who wants me dead.” Maggie got to her feet and grabbed the crystal holding the black Dinogem. “If I feed you dinner, will you stop bitching?”

“I’ll take dinner,” Natasha said.

“How come you don’t feed us?” Kira asked.

“The three of you have impossible metabolisms,” Maggie said. “And I’m living on a teacher’s wage.”

Maggie dodged Mesogog as she, Elsa, and Zeltrax attacked the four of them. The Raptors, who had been occupied with Tyrannodrones in the hall, rushed in to hold them off while Maggie configured the invisi-portal.

“Let’s go!” she ordered. She grabbed Maria’s outstretched hand and was hauled onto Ikter.

The invisi-portal dropped them just outside a park. Kira called for Ethan and Connor, who were on their way. Hopefully, they would arrive in time.

Mesogog, Elsa, Zeltrax, and a hoard of Tyrannodrones poured out of the portal along with a monster. The Rangers and Raptors fanned out behind Maggie, putting the Shield agents behind them. Zeltrax fired an energy blast from his sword.

Maggie blocked the attack with the crystal. As energy poured into the clear stone, she could feel her hands start to warm and vibrate with new energy. The black Dinogem seemed to grow, consuming the light pouring into it. Then the crystal exploded.

Maria felt her heart stop. “Maggie!” She ran forward to where her sister had been standing. No. Not now. Not after they had just found each other again.

Ikter blocked her approach and trilled softly.

“We have fulfilled Mesogog’s highest orders!” Zeltrax held his sword high. “The destruction of Doctor Maggie Sawyer!”

Before the forces of evil could celebrate, the air shimmered where Maggie had been standing.

“I heard my name,” Maggie said as she appeared. “Didja miss me that much, Zeltrax?” She tossed a black gem into the air and caught it with her other hand.

“Is that a black Dinogem?” Kira asked excitedly.

“Mesogog wanted me to help her get it out of the crystal.” Maggie shrugged. “I don’t know why she thought I would cooperate.”

“That Dinogem belongs to my mistress!” Elsa shouted.

“There are two things you gotta learn about Dinogems,” Maggie said, tossing the glowing rock from hand to hand. “One: you can’t choose them, they choose you.”

Elsa sneered. “What’s the other?”

Maggie let the sleeve of her jacket drop away from her wrist. “They go really well with Dino Morphers.” She slammed the gem into the morpher.

Maria heard Clint snort over the comms. “Insanity runs in the family, by the looks of it.”

“Aren’t you a little old for this, Maggie?” Elsa taunted.

“I may be old, but I can still pull it off.” She triggered the morpher. “Dino Thunder! Power up!”

Maria watched black energy engulf her twin before gold threaded through the darkness. When a new Black Ranger emerged, Maria couldn’t help but feel excited and exasperated. Her sister was an active Ranger again. This was going to end about as well as last time.

Maria and Natasha stuck to the edge of the battle, the Raptors protecting them as they picked off Tyrannodrones. When the monster was given a second life, she watched Maggie leap into a black and gold brachiosaur.

Maria muttered oaths and curses as she got on the red motorcycle. Natasha took the blue one before asking the Raptors to lead them back to the lab. On the edge of the city, a new Megazord battled it out with the monster of the week.

“If you die,” Maria said over the comms, “I’m going to kill you.”

“I love you, too, Maria.”

“Asshole.”

* * *

Clint slid into the backseat of the SUV and dropped his gear on the seat beside him. “I take it I’m not supposed to tell anyone about Mariner Bay.”

“I will drop you into a hole so deep you’ll start to cook in the Earth’s mantle layer.”

“Roger that, Ma’am.”

Natasha shook her head, amused. “We’re basing out of L.A. for the time being?”

Maria sighed as she drove the car away from Maggie’s house. “I know she can handle herself.” Her grip on the wheel tightened. “Especially now that she has powers.”

“But she’s your sister. And you have a heart.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Clint muttered. Louder, he said, “I won’t mind spending a winter in L.A. It’ll just make European ops a bitch to fly.”

“Looks like Delta gets to terrorize the L.A. headquarters,” Maria said, sighing at the thought of the paperwork ahead of her. 

Natasha grinned. “It’s been a while, and we’ve learned new methods.”

Maria shook her head but said, “Thank you. Both of you.”

They said nothing. They were Shield agents; they had each other’s back through everything.

* * *

Maggie looked up from her laptop when someone knocked on the door. She traded a look with Lucy as she stood. It was too late for the kids to be out, and they would come up through the lab. Any friends knew to enter if the door was unlocked. 

Maggie felt the chill of the storm whip through the screen door. Two days ago, she would’ve shivered. Now, her new powers meant she could handle the breeze.

A huddled form leaned against the rail. Maggie grabbed a blaster and held it behind her back. Being a Ranger meant always having her guard up when it came to mysterious figures on dark and stormy nights. 

“Hello?” Maggie called out.

The form shifted to look up at her. Mesogog’s amber gaze locked eyes with Maggie. Before she could call out to Lucy, pain-filled Mesogog’s features. She growled, “No!” as the scales melted away.

Alex hit her knees, panting. Maggie felt her heart stop even as she yanked the screen door off its hinges. Alex looked at her in fear and agony as Maggie’s hands found her shoulders.

Alex was supposed to be dead. Alex died on the island when Mesogog attacked.

Behind Maggie, Lucy gasped.

“Mags, Luce...Help me.”

Alex collapsed.


	3. Chapter 3

The day after Alex arrived on Maggie and Lucy's porch…

Maggie watched Lucy's grip on the blaster tighten as Alex woke up. Maggie herself was poised and ready to strike if Mesogog broke through. Lucy shifted in the armchair; she had no experience in being a Power Ranger and knew to run to the safety of the labs and Raptors if necessary.

Alex groaned and rubbed at her eyes. She looked exhausted even after sleeping through the night. "Mags?"

Maggie carefully wrapped her in a hug. "Right here. I've got you."

Alex's hug was tight, but nothing exceeding human limits. "I've missed you so, so much."

The bed shifted as Lucy joined them, the blaster on the side table behind her. Alex hugged her as well, and Maggie watched Lucy barely held back her tears. Alex had been lost to them for years. They had time to process her death. Now she was back.

She had never really been gone.

Maggie's stomach twisted. She had given up. She hadn't bothered to look. She left Alex to this fate-

"Stop it," Lucy said, voice barely holding firm. "Stop blaming yourself, Maggie." 

Alex rolled back over and sat up, bringing Maggie with her. "No, no, this isn't your fault. I'm not mad at you. You didn't know, you couldn't possibly have known. Mesogog made you think I was dead. You had no reason to doubt her, not after all she did to the lab."

Maggie wrapped her in a hug again. They had Alex back. For now. Maybe. This was better than anything Maggie could have expected. 

Alex's stomach growled.

Lucy stood and tucked the blaster in the back of her jeans. "Let's eat. Then maybe go down to the lab."

Alex nodded, and Maggie trailed after them. She should tell the Rangers. She should tell Maria. But Maria had just left, and the Rangers would come rushing over, and Alex didn't need the stress. Later. She could tell everyone else later.

"How did this happen?" Lucy asked as she dug out food from the fridge.

"So you know how I was working on the DNA aspects of the dinosaurs we found? Well, I fucked up." Alex leaned heavily against the table as she sat. It seemed like she could barely hold herself up. "One of the smaller herbivores had DNA that could mutate the solutions I was working with. The beaker exploded over the flame, breaking about six other various samples and slicing open my arm." She showed them a nasty scar that ran from the side of her hand to her elbow as if she had held her arm up to protect herself. "Cue infection of dinosaur DNA and Dinogem chips."

"Dinogem?" Maggie asked. "But, I thought I had the three gems in my lab?"

Alex nodded. "You had the three that we found so far. The black gem was found when Mesogog went looking for more. There's a white gem. It was buried in the bones of one of the dinosaurs I was working on."

Maggie felt her mind start to race. She needed to secure that gem. It couldn't sit in Mesogog's lab and risk being used as a power source for an Evil Ranger. Or, worse, if Mesogog learned how to manipulate a gem into bonding with her…

"I'll do my best to get it to you," Alex said. She curled her arms on the table and lay her head down. "The days I regain control are getting rarer."

"Which means we need to find a safe place to meet after today," Lucy said as she set glasses of orange juice on the table. "As much as I want you to stay here, or take you down to the lab and figure this out _now_, we really can't risk Mesogog coming back in the middle of the lab."

Alex nodded. Maggie rubbed her shoulders and dug out a straw. She popped it into Alex's glass and got a grateful smile. They started to talk about various places around Reefside they could use as a meeting point that would be safe for their identities but also easy to access. Lucy wanted to volunteer the cafe, but too many teens used the space. If Mesogog started a rampage in the backroom, no one would return.

Maggie felt a shiver of fear etch down her spine halfway through breakfast. Alex seized up, her eyes going wide. Maggie could feel Evil. No. No, they just got Alex back-

Alex bolted from the kitchen and stumbled through the front door. Her body shifted and colored between her human form and Mesogog. The grunts and gasps of pain tore at Maggie's heart as she and Lucy chased after her.

"Alex!"

"I'm not letting her hurt you!" Alex's fingers twisted the leather wristband Maggie had overlooked. The air swirled and rippled as an invisi-portal appeared.

Then she was gone.

Maggie's knees hit the grass. Lucy stood next to her, stroking her hair.

"We'll get her back, Mags."

For the first time in years, Maggie didn't know if she could hold out the hope to see her responsibility through.

* * *

"We can't send them to the island through random invisi-portals!" Maggie ran a hand through her hair. "There's no telling where they could end up."

"You said it yourself," Lucy said, "we need that white Dinogem."

"There's a white Dinogem?"

Maggie spun around and saw the three teenagers standing just inside the doorway of the lab. She sighed, closed her eyes, and tried to figure out how she was going to explain everything she had kept from them over the last three days.

"Mesogog is sharing a body with our other girlfriend who we thought died during the initial attack." Or Lucy could just put it out there. "There was an accident with Alex's DNA, her work, and a white Dinogem hidden in the bones she was working with. Alex managed to regain control of her body briefly a few nights ago and came to tell us what happened."

"Why didn't you say anything to us?" Connor asked Maggie.

Maggie sighed. "Because I need you three to remain focused on protecting Earth no matter the cost. Even if that cost is Alex."

"Is there any way for us to save her?" Kira asked.

"She's hasn't contacted us since her first visit." Maggie shrugged. "If she can get us the details of her accident, we can study it and maybe figure out a reversal. Otherwise…"

Ethan looked around at the various states everyone was in. "We're Power Rangers, right? For us, anything is possible, isn't it?"

Maggie could only nod in agreement. She couldn't allow them to believe anything else.

* * *

Alex could only watch as Mesogog carefully measured blood and chemicals in what had once been Alex's lab. 

"Soon, I will be free of you, human," Mesogog hissed. "Then, I will destroy the Black Ranger's soul once and for all!"

Alex knew what Mesogog intended. She had no plans of letting it get that far. She had stopped Mesogog from killing Maggie and Lucy years ago. She prevented Mesogog from bonding with the gems due to their split personality. She could stop Mesogog this one last time.

* * *

"Well, this is bad," Connor said when Mesogog appeared in the center of the battle.

"You three focus on the monster!" Maggie ordered as she headed straight for Mesogog.

Kira looked at the two boys. "You've got this, right?" 

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, go watch her back."

Maggie leveled her blaster at Mesogog's head. "You've seen just how often the Power Rangers win. What makes you think you're going to come out on top?"

Mesogog shot laser beams from her eyes. When she saw Maggie had dodged the attack, she hissed. "I know I'll win because you won't kill me."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Maggie didn't want to shoot Mesogog, but if it came down to the world or Alex...Well, there was no choice for her to make.

More laser beams shot out of Mesogog's eyes. This time, however, the attack clearly missed Maggie.

Kira shouted in pain behind her.

Maggie fired, ending the attack on her student and teammate.

Mesogog turned away, protecting her injured side. With a glare at Maggie, Mesogog began to shrink in size. Maggie felt her stomach drop.

Alex held her shoulder but pulled her hand away to reveal no injury. Maggie rushed forward.

"Maggie, no!" Alex yelled.

Before Maggie could reach her, Mesogog retook control of Alex's body. The blast of energy that hit Maggie sent her reeling backward.

Down in Los Angeles, Maria cursed at the tablet Lucy had hooked up to access the helmet cameras. Pushing away from her desk, Maria headed to the hanger. She had a sister to strangle for keeping secrets.

* * *

"What did I say about making this a habit?" Maria asked as she and Natasha entered the basement.

"I told you we can handle it," Maggie said, motioning to where the three teens were huddled around a table with a tall stack of textbooks. 

"I watched you get your ass handed to you by a monster who can turn into your long lost girlfriend." Maria crossed her arms. "That's not handling it."

Ethan looked beyond Natasha and Maria. "No Agent Barton this time? Does that mean no chance of Iron Man?"

"Stark isn't really that cool," Natasha said, half amused and half exasperated.

"No one's cooler than Iron Man."

It was clear Kira and Connor disagreed but decided their school work was better than losing another argument.

Natasha eyed the Blue Ranger then slipped her phone out of her pocket. She headed for the Raptor enclosures as she said, "Rhodes, you busy? I need help proving Stark is not as much of a badass as the rest of us…"

Maggie looked at her twin when Natasha vanished from sight. "Is she seriously calling War Machine to prove a teenager wrong?"

"Colonel Rhodes is Stark's best friend and will have his back through any and all idiocy that man gets into. But he's also Stark's best friend, and will take any and every opportunity to one-up him."

"Men are weird."

Lucy patted Maggie's shoulder as she passed with a mess of wires, and what Maria was sure were parts of a hand cannon. "That's why you're dating women, love."

Maria shook her head at the dopey look on Maggie's face. She was happy for her twin, really, but sometimes Maggie was ridiculous. 

Four Raptor Riders raced through the lab, heading for the woods, Shelly carrying Natasha at the front of the pack.

Maria glared at Maggie. "No, seriously, did you have to make them semi-sentient?"

Maggie nodded. "I did. I really, really did."

"What's the plan?" Maria asked, deciding that was an argument she would never win.

Maggie led her over to the bank of computers, and Lucy brought up a video from Kira's helmet. "Using the video from last week," Maggie said, "we've managed to create a vague map of the lab. If you and Natasha are willing to go in, there's another Dinogem."

"Why us?" Maria asked.

"You two are better at subtle."

"We can be subtle!" Connor protested.

Lucy scoffed. "One of you moves fast enough that you can't stop in time, another has a banshee scream as a special attack, and the other has been known to punch entire walls down. Add in the bright primary colored uniforms, and nothing about you is subtle."

Kira and Ethan conceded the point. Connor pouted.

"Don't these things have a habit of bonding to whoever's holding them?" Maria asked. "You might not have a problem making this your career, but I _like_ my current job."

"I honestly meant to be an archeologist, you know," Maggie said. "But, I did make you a way to grab and carry it."

"Correction," Lucy said, "_I_ made those things."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Anyway. It's up to you. Mesogog is meaner than ever since Alex visited. Before last week, she may have settled for torturing you long enough for us to rescue you. Now…"

Maria nodded. Now, instant death and their bodies dropped on the doorstep was far more likely. "Connor, Kira, are you two okay with me and Nat borrowing Shelly and Ikter again?"

The two Rangers nodded, proud of how their Raptors had bonded to the Shield agents.

Maria focused on the half-formed map of the island fortress. "Okay, what's our path and destination?"

~

Alex could feel Mesogog's apprehension as well as her eagerness. There was a chance this wouldn't work. This could kill them both. But if it did succeed in splitting them, Mesogog would be free of Alex's interference. 

If it worked, Alex would be free.

If it worked, Alex's life was forfeit.

Mesogog raised the large vial of liquid off the stand and held it up to the light. It was a bright blood red, watery, and smoking. "Today is the day you die, Alexandra Danvers."

[You said that years ago, and yet here I am.]

Mesogog growled and brought the vial to her lips.

An explosion rocked the fortress. Mesogog roared and capped the vial, slipping into the once pristine but now blackened, crusty lab coat. She went to the command center and demanded to know what was going on as a second explosion shook the walls.

"Those Rangers are using invisi-portals to send bombs into the fortress!" Zeltrax reported.

"Take the Tyrannodrones, all of them, and stop those humans!" she ordered Zeltrax and Elsa. Once the room was empty, Mesogog brought the vial back out. "The Rangers are nothing if not determined. Even while they fight, they will continue to send what they can through the portals. This fortress might hold." She uncorked the vial. "Or it might not. Either way, you'll be the only one here to find out."

Mesogog poured the concoction down her throat.

Both Alex and Mesogog began to scream.

~

"Maria, Natasha, go!" Maggie ordered. "Connor and Lucy have spotted Mesogog!"

Maria only had to nudge Ikter in the direction of the invisi-portal before they were in motion. Shelly and Natasha were mere moments behind them. Right before they were cut off from the team's comms, they heard Ethan gasp in awe.

"Oh my God, it's War Machine!"

Maria could hear Natasha stifling her snickers as they arrived in the fortress. Maria shook her head at her girlfriend and put a calming hand on Ikter. "Okay, girl, Lucy gave you the map." It was one of the pros of the Raptors being mechanical. "Let's get there as quickly and quietly as possible."

Ikter rumbled under her but made no sound as she trotted off in the direction of the lab that had held Maggie and the Black Dinogem a week ago. Maria didn't like the lack of Tyrannodrone patrols, and Ikter's hackles were up in paranoia as well. On the one hand, Maria and Natasha didn't have to go up against minions far stronger than them. On the other hand, it meant Mesogog might have taken the entire army with her.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Natasha murmured as both Raptors stopped a few feet from the doorway to the lab.

"Romanoff, if you jinx us, I will shoot you."

"Don't threaten me with a good time."

Maria suppressed a sigh, knowing it was precisely what Natasha was looking for. "C'mon, Ikter, we can't face it if we don't investigate it."

Ikter shifted from foot to foot before trotting forward. When they entered the lab, Ikter immediately put a center console between them and the figure sprawled on the floor. Shelly carried Natasha closer and circled to a stop at the top of the person's head. Natasha slid off the Raptor and kept one hand on the Zord while reaching to move the hair off the person's face.

Alex.

Natasha's head snapped up to look at Maria. "Maggie will hold back against Mesogog."

Maria nudged Ikter closer. "Can you hold her steady on Shelly?" She slid off the Raptor and headed for the table with the White Dinogem.

Natasha moved to scoop up Alex. Before she could really lever the other woman off the floor, Alex started fighting.

"No! No, Mesogog, you don't get to kill me!"

Natasha was quick to release Alex carefully and back away. She took off her helmet. "Alex."

Hearing her name not being hissed by the forces of evil made the woman stop and actually look around. She took in the two Raptors, the two women, the lack of minions and Mesogog. Her fists unclenched, but her guard didn't drop. "What happened?"

"We tossed a bunch of bombs through invisi-portals to piss off Mesogog," Maria said. "Maggie sent us to retrieve that," she pointed to the White Dinogem.

"And while it's great you're no longer in Mesogog," Natasha said as she offered a hand up, "Maggie doesn't know this."

Alex took the hand up before joining Maria in front of the White Dinogem. "So unless either of you can come up with a very good reason against this, I'm going to see if I can bond with this thing and kick Mesogog's ass."

Maria shrugged. "I mean, there's PTSD, the fact you haven't been in the world for the last few years, and the lack of actual forethought-"

"Oh, I've thought a lot about killing Mesogog."

"Then, I figured either you or Lucy was going to bond with the damn thing."

Alex scoffed. "Lucy is probably too pissed off she got dragged into the Power Ranger shit to bond with a Dinogem properly."

Maria watched Alex reach for the Dinogem set into a metal bracelet. Alex's fingers wiggled in a moment of hesitation. Then she wrapped her hand around it and squeezed. Light leaked out from between Alex's fingers as she slapped the morpher on her wrist.

Alex looked up at Ikter, who had settled just behind Maria. "Can you smell where the egg is?"

Ikter nodded once and led the way out of the lab.

"Where is everyone?" Maria asked as she and Natasha fell in step with Alex. Shelly brought up the rear as a more armored guard.

"Mesogog sent everyone out to fight the Rangers. She thought the bombing would continue and bury me."

Ikter led them into a dim, hot room. A single white egg laid among heating lamps. Alex didn't hesitate to scoop it up in her arms. With cargo secured, Natasha and Maria hopped back onto their Raptors. Maria reached down and helped Alex on behind her. 

"Alright, Ikter, let's go save my sister. Again."

Ikter took off towards the invisi-portal control room.

Behind her, Alex said, "Wait. What?"

~

Maggie groaned as she hit a wall. War Machine was at her side to help her up. She didn't hesitate to aim blaster fire at Mesogog's legs. 

"We can't keep this up for much longer," Kira said as she joined them.

"You don't have to," Maria said over the comms. "Maggie, kill the bitch. She separated herself from Alex."

Maggie felt her heart stop. "What?"

Then, though muffled, Maggie heard the last thing she expected.

"White Ranger Dino Power!"

"Alex Danvers!" Lucy yelled through the comms. "You did not just bond to a Dinogem!"

"How else am I supposed to get revenge on the monster who kept me hostage all these years?" Alex sounded so strong and so very, very pissed off. "Can you two get Lucy back to base?"

"Consider it done," Maria said. 

"I'm on my way, Mags," Alex said.

For the first time in a week, Maggie felt hopeful they could win this war.

* * *

Long after the teenagers had gone home, a couple hours after dinner, Maria watched Maggie and Lucy cuddle on the couch on either side of Alex. The new White Ranger was exhausted but refused to turn in. She wanted to know everything that had happened and wanted to know it _now_.

Maria and Rhodes were sitting on the love seat on the other side of the coffee table from the trio. Natasha had decided cuddles were a great idea and sprawled on top of them. Being a gentleman, and also used to Stark's antics, Rhodes had put a throw pillow on Natasha's legs and rested his arms on it. Maria's fingers curled through Natasha's hair absently. 

A phone chimed, and Natasha groaned as she dug her cell out of her pocket. She held it above her head, indicating a video call. "What, Stark?"

"You stole my Rhodey!"

"I borrowed your Rhodey. And I'll return him in relatively the same shape that he arrived."

"You better!"

Natasha tapped at the screen and tilted the phone, so it was aimed at the Colonel. "See? Completely unscathed."

"Snookums!"

Rhodes shook his head. "Why are you bothering Natasha, Tony?"

"Since when are you allowed to use her first name? When did this happen?"

"Since he saved her life from mutant dinosaurs," Maria chimed in.

"Yeah, how do you two always get involved with Power Rangers, anyway?"

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "You haven't told him?"

"Who's that?"

Maria shook her head. "I trust Stark to save the world. I don't trust him with my sanity."

"C'mon, Romanoff, turn the phone and lemme see."

"Not a chance in hell, Stark."

"You realize I'm a programming genius, and you're using one of my company's phones, right?"

Natasha smirked, knowing the technological protections in place around the house. "I'd love to watch you try."

It took six seconds for the call to suddenly drop. Natasha put away her phone, infinitely pleased.

"Won't that just encourage him to come out here and find out?" Lucy asked.

Rhodes shook his head. "He actually does respect personal boundaries if it's not a threat to those he considers his. Besides, it'll be far more enjoyable for him to pester the three of us until we threaten bodily harm."

"Not that you can convince Fury of that," Maria muttered.

Natasha shrugged. "Hacking the 'carrier was his way of looking out for what's his." No one expected Tony to consider humanity as his, after all. But the man was greedy.

"Which means if things really start looking bad here," Rhodes said, "you can probably expect him to show up."

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "He's never participated in any other Ranger battles."

"Believe me, he's wanted to. It's taken a LOT of fast-talking between Pepper and me to keep him out of Power Ranger cities. But now that someone important enough that these two," he motioned to Maria and Natasha, "drop every responsibility to help out…"

Maria tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "I have NOT been claimed by Tony Stark."

Natasha patted her shoulder. "It's good to have friends in high places."

"I'm second in command of a global black ops agency! I am a friend in a high place!"

"It's cute that you think that."

Maria handed her beer off to Rhodes before shoving Natasha off her lap. Natasha grabbed at her and dragged her down to the floor, starting a wrestling match. It lasted only a few seconds, as they were quick to hit the coffee table.

"That is mahogany!" Lucy yelled.

The room broke out into laughter as Natasha and Maria sat back on the couch. 

Alex rested her head on Maggie's. "I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but I'm glad you have your sister back."

Maggie laced her fingers with Alex's. "I have you and Maria back. If this is how it had to happen, so be it."

With a team like theirs, Mesogog didn't stand a chance.


	4. Chapter 4

Maggie rolled her eyes when she checked her caller I.D. “Be right back.” She left the amnesiac and no longer evil Elsa with Alex and Lucy. “You only ever call me when you see me fight on t.v.”

Maria scoffed. “You mean when I see you get your ass kicked on t.v.?”

“I totally won this fight!”

“Barely! How many girlfriends do you have, anyway?”

Maggie sputtered. “This one isn’t a girlfriend!”

She was just loud enough to be overheard by Lucy and Alex, who started cackling.

“Thank fuck, because Nat has a souvenir problem, and she’s added you three to the list of people she absolutely HAS to bring something back for.”

“That’s...actually kind of adorable?”

“For the love of my sanity, do NOT tell her that.”

Maggie grinned. “Isn’t it kind of my job as your twin to destroy all aspects of your sanity?”

“Should’ve let Thor wipe you off the map,” Maria muttered.

“But then the world would be doomed.”

“Would it, though?”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “We’re fine. Everything here is fine. Thank you for checking in, but we have this handled.”

“Okay. Be careful, Maggie.”

“Stay safe, Maria.” She ended the call and headed back towards her girlfriends and Elsa. The former evil minion had no memory of what she had done or who she had been, and had no idea why Mesogog had released her. Maggie had a feeling the reasons weren’t good ones. They’d find out soon enough, unfortunately.

_Two Days Later..._

  
“Everything is fine, she says.” Maria aimed her blaster and trusted Ikter to keep her steady. “We have this handled, she says.”

“We are handling this!” Maggie insisted.

Maria located Natasha for a moment before charging towards the next group of Tyrannodrones. “I just saw you sacrifice a Megazord! That is not handling things!”

Maggie didn’t have time to reply. Maria knew this was it, and Maggie was well aware of it, too. When the top dog started to rid themselves of their generals, when Megazords were lost to stop powerful monsters, it meant this was the final battle. The pattern was one they had seen over and over through the years.

So far, every Ranger team had won their final battles.

As confident as Maggie and Maria were, they also knew better than to think they were going to win. The team would have to give this fight everything they had. And maybe more than that.

Maria hoped Maggie wouldn’t have to sacrifice more than a Megazord.

“You may have destroyed my plans for a perfect world,” Mesogog said, “but I’ve managed to absorb enough Dinogem energy to complete my transfiguration!”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Kira muttered.

Maria and Natasha made their way to the team just in time to see Mesogog mutate into a bigger beast.

“I’m so glad that’s not me,” Alex said.

Maria slipped off of Ikter and pat the Zord on the neck. “Go. Kira needs you more than I do.”

Natasha let Shelly join the battle as well. They both took cover and made sure no Tyrannodrones could join Mesogog. Maria wished for the first time ever that she had kept in touch with her team. She didn’t know if they could’ve arrived in time, but it would’ve been something.

“So, none of you are going to like this,” Lucy said over the comms.

“I haven’t been liking this,” Ethan pointed out.

“Mesogog is still absorbing energy from your attacks.”

“We’re still using Dinogem energy,” Connor said. “Mesogog is just eating everything we’re using to destroy her.”

“Is there such a thing as too much energy?” Kira asked.

“There is,” Maggie said, dodging an attack of claws. “But not only can we do it just once, we may not have powers afterward.”

“I’m very biased,” Alex said, “but I’m all for hitting Mesogog with the equivalent of an asteroid.”

“Then let’s do this,” Maggie said.

“Margarita Sawyer-”

“I promise I won’t die, Maria. Fuck. Have some faith.”

“I have faith you’ll save the world. I’m questioning how you’ll go about doing it.”

“I have too much to live for. Trust that.”

And, well, Maria did live by the same philosophy. Dying for the cause only worked the once. Living, surviving, being able to stand up after the world tried to tear her down… That was far better.

As one, the team of Rangers said, “I summon the power of the Dinogem!”

They all started to glow golden as pure Morphing Grid energy.

“Dinogems unite!”

The pools of golden light coalesced above them, forming a massive T-Rex head. The roar of power made something in Maria’s chest soar. She could, for just a moment, feel the power that she had once held.

The jaws of the T-Rex snapped down on Mesogog.

The explosion made Maria and Natasha squeeze their eyes shut and turn away.

“Well,” Lucy said when everything went quiet and still. “That was excessive.”

“And you said we were overdramatic in New York,” Natasha said, glaring at Maria.

Maria rolled her eyes and ran through the wreckage to where she last saw her twin. The three teenagers were leaning against a car, their armor gone. Maggie and Alex had their arms around each other, holding on tight. Maria gave them a moment and checked on the teenagers.

“You three okay?”

“I feel exhausted,” Kira said.

“I don’t feel as pumped as I usually do after a fight,” Connor added.

Ethan held out his gem. “It’s not glowing anymore.”

Maggie joined them, arm pressing against Maria’s, Alex on her other side. “We depleted everything the gems had to stop Mesogog. They’re nothing but artifacts now.”

Maria wondered just how true that was. After all, her old morpher could still connect to the Grid even after Bansheera was defeated. For now, however, she remained silent.

“Thank you,” Alex said. “You three kept Maggie and Lucy safe, saved me, and stopped Mesogog.”

“All without failing a single class,” Kira said, pleased.

Natasha meandered over, holding her phone up and smirking. “Getting slow in your old age, Stark. The world’s been saved.”

“A little warning when the world is ending would be nice, Romanoff.”

Maria tilted her head to look at the video call. “Colonel Rhodes told us your dream of fighting alongside the Power Rangers. I’m looking forward to preventing that for as long as humanly possible.”

“I’m wounded.” He looked off-screen. “Pepper, your friends are wounding me. And remind me to take Rhodey off my best friends list, the traitor.”

The video moved rapidly, and there was a yelp of protest from Stark before Pepper’s face was smiling fondly at them. “Is there anything Stark Industries can do to help with recovery efforts?”

“I’ll look into it,” Maria said, “but I doubt there’s much beyond cosmetic damage to the city.” The Morphing Grid protected more than just Rangers, after all.

“Let me know either way. You two and your friends get some rest.” She ended the call before Stark could reclaim his phone.

“That is a smart lady,” Alex said. “Of course, it’s going to be a long walk back home.”

Barks and chirps echoed through the air before five Raptor Riders arrived. The teens were ecstatic to see their Zords. Maggie and Alex gave their partners quick hugs before climbing on. Maggie held her hand out to Maria while Natasha settled behind Alex.

Maria got comfortable behind Maggie before the Raptor took off. The teens were only moments behind. They were going just fast enough to remain unseen, protected by the Grid. Maria sighed and leaned her head against Maggie’s back.

“I’m here, Maria. I made it. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

  
~*~

Maria didn’t look up when she heard a knock on her open office door. Anyone with half a mind to knock wasn’t a threat or deserved a glare for interrupting her right off the bat. “Enter.”

“She sounds bossier than you’ve ever been.” The woman’s voice wasn’t one Maria had heard in years.

“Joel always said she should’ve been Red.”

Maria stared at Dana and Carter as they took seats across from her. They were older than she remembered, but so was she. They smiled softly at her but were definitely amused by her surprise.

“Are we supposed to be able to surprise the second in command of Shield?” Carter mock whispered to Dana.

“I think it helps our clearance level is equal to her’s.”

Maria snapped her mouth shut and raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me this is a social call.”

Dana laughed. “Very social, I promise. A mutual friend asked if we were willing to get back in touch with you.”

“Kai is in the middle of the Mediterranean,” Carter said. “Joel is hoping to be in town in the next two days.” He studied her. “If that’s okay.”

Maria nodded slowly, not quite shyly. “It would be great to see everyone again.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sor-”

“We’re not here for that, Maria,” Dana said. “That… We understand. I’ve cycled through being a pediatrician and working on the Aquabase myself.”

Carter motioned around them. “Besides, you’ve been busy, Deputy Director.”

“I still could’ve done more.”

“We didn’t exactly reach out, either.” Carter shook his head. “This is about who we are now, and the friends we could be again.”

“Though I am going to be annoyed for another day or two about your relation to Maggie Sawyer of all people.”

Maria frowned. “That’s our mutual friend? I mean, I guess it makes sense she would be the one to find you, but why are you saying her name like _that_?”

Her teammates traded glances. Carter leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Maria, your sister isn’t just another one of us.”

“She’s built a communications network between every team,” Dana said. “Even the teams in space, forward in time, and a few realities over.”

“It’s said that every Ranger can trust Maggie Sawyer.”

Maria’s eye twitched. “How does she communicate with Rangers in other realities?”

Dana shrugged. “I don’t quite understand it, but she’s worked with mentors of the Morphing Grid to build portals to neighboring Earths.”

“She’s done **what**?!” Maria stood up. “I’m gonna kill her.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i used google translate. that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it.
> 
> This one's a little bit darker and meaner than the other chapters. I'm twisting together the events of the Winter Soldier movie and what I know of comic canon, as well as the Forever Red book.

_ Three months after Reefside has been saved from Mesogog… _

Maggie sighed as she pulled away from Alex. "As great as this is, it's getting dark, and we really need to get the Raptors inside."

Alex nodded and tucked her ruffled hair behind her ears. "Maybe we can continue this after dinner?"

Maggie smirked. "Definitely." She stepped away from Alex and the tree they had been braced against to whistle sharply. "Shelly! Ikter! Emmy! Tor! Shiro!"

Silence.

Maggie frowned and whistled again, adding more of a command to her intent. "Tor!"

The answering trill was faint. Tor was far. Further than any of the Raptors knew they were allowed. Maggie, Lucy, and Alex still lived within the city limits, and just because she couldn't see or hear her neighbors didn't mean she didn't have any. 

"Somebody's grounded," Alex teased.

"They're all fucking grounded for wandering that far," Maggie muttered. "They know better."

Tor's golden eyes were the first thing Maggie saw. Shiro's white armor flashed in the fading light behind him, and Emmy trailed a few feet away, looking over her shoulder. Ikter and Shelly were nowhere to be seen.

"Emmy, where are your siblings?" Maggie demanded.

The blue Raptor looked back the way they had come and scratched at the ground, obviously wanting to go back out.

"Are they in trouble?" Alex asked, stepping up to soothe the Raptor.

She shook her head vigorously but whined all the same.

Maggie tugged her phone out of her pocket and called Lucy. "Please tell me you have two Raptors wreaking havoc in the lab?"

"No. Why?"

"Shelly and Ikter are gone."

"Do you think something's happened to Maria and Natasha?"

Maggie cursed and hung up on Lucy. She climbed onto Tor and swore when Maria's phone went to voicemail. She called Natasha while Alex swung up onto Shiro. When that call went to voicemail without ringing, Maggie knew something was wrong. She called Clint. The Raptors took off towards the house while Maggie waited as the phone rang.

* * *

Fifteen minutes earlier…

Natasha shifted in her seat, taking her feet off the dashboard. "Do you ever get the feeling like you're being watched?"

Maria checked the mirrors. "It usually means I'm doing my job wrong, but, yes, currently feeling watched."

"I'm counting two marked police cars and three unmarked all within three cars of us."

Maria changed lanes. "I'm almost certain it's too late in the day for that dump truck to be out."

Natasha peered through the sunroof. "There's a copter." She looked over at her girlfriend. "Make a run for it on foot, or are you going to GTA this?"

"You play far too many video games with Barton."

Natasha smiled. "And yet you understood what I meant."

"Just because I spend more time at work than at home most days doesn't mean I'm not up to date on pop culture." She flipped her blinker to go into the lane on the right, then took a left turn instead.

Natasha sent off a text to the team as Maria gunned it and started weaving through late rush hour traffic. Three police sirens erupted behind them. 

"Which one of us do you think they're after?" Natasha asked, keeping an eye on the cars behind them so Maria could focus ahead.

"At this point, it could be either of us," Maria said. She took a sharp turn. "If they don't want me for my position in Shield, they want the Avenger and world-renowned assassin."

"I've done the Avenging thing the once," Natasha protested. "That's a big gun."

Maria didn't flinch too badly when automatic gunfire rained on them. She started cycling through curse words in various languages before she found her way back to English.

"Fucking finally," Natasha muttered when their pursuers caught up, and there were no longer any cars between them. She opened the glove compartment and unlocked the door. She grabbed the grenade and leaned out the open door.

"When the HELL did you put a grenade in there?!" Maria demanded.

Natasha bowled the grenade after pulling the pin. It took out the middle car and sent the right vehicle careening out of control. The left SUV swerved and continued the pursuit. Natasha leaned back into the car and shut the door. "You really need to check the car more often if that's a surprise."

"I checked just last week!"

Natasha tisked. "Not often enough."

The helicopter came down low over them once they were free of taller buildings. Maria was trying not to run people off the road, but she kinda wanted to live, herself. She cursed when they blew past a police blockade that thinned out traffic.

The helicopter dipped low and deposited a single person on the road ahead of them.

Natasha felt her blood run cold. "Bail."

"What?"

"Bail. Bail now!"

Maria halted the car as the masked man launched something over the asphalt. 

They weren't clear of the car when it exploded.

Natasha felt the gunshot more than she heard it. The world was spinning and maybe slightly on fire. A metal hand tangled in her hair as the wind beat in time with the approaching helicopter. Her vision was blurred, but she could still make out fake police officers approaching the car with guns drawn.

She was thrown into the copter. Her head hit the metal floor, and the threatening darkness took over.

Maria couldn't see Natasha. Her ears were ringing, and smoke was burning her eyes. Tears of pain leaked out of her eyes, and their path told her which way was down. She braced her hands on the asphalt and pushed her body towards the light.

Something powerful in her chest bloomed. 

Maria was able to blink away the tears just as the car was surrounded by the shoes and pants of police officers. She couldn't twist to get enough room to pull her gun. One of the fake officers leaned down and aimed at her.

A deafening screech announced the last thing anyone expected.

Maria watched the gunman get tackled by a molted grey, supposedly extinct lizard. Sharp yellow eyes locked with hers for a moment before continuing the attack.

Maria had no idea when Maggie (or Lucy) had taken the time to add a hologram to the Raptors. Either way, she was grateful no one would be able to immediately connect her reptilian rescuers to Reefside.

Ikter returned and leaned down, chirping at her. Maria took the hint and finished tugging herself out of the wreckage. She leaned on the Raptor as she stood. Shelly was up the road and keeping more officers from coming for her. 

Natasha's boots were hanging out of the helicopter, gaining altitude. 

Maria dragged herself onto Ikter. "Tell your sister we need to move out."

Shelly barked as Ikter started to move.

"Can you follow Natasha?" Maria got a firm nod and a positive chirp. "Do it."

Shelly took the lead. Maria leaned against Ikter's neck and settled in for the rather smooth ride. Breathing hurt, but she could deal with that later. For now, she just had to keep up with Natasha. That's all that mattered.

* * *

Clint had just lifted off when a small screen popped up on the edge of the Quinjet's window. "I gotta take this, Cap."

Steve nodded Clint hit the small button that would answer the call. 

"Kinda busy, Doc."

"Shelly and Ikter are missing."

Clint snorted. "Great. That's just great. Ten minutes ago, Nat told us she and Maria were being followed."

Steve showed him the tablet he was using to follow updates from the techs tracking Maria and Natasha. "The car accelerated rapidly, and there are police in pursuit."

"Having two brightly colored, obviously Power Ranger Zords come to their rescue is going to bring up more questions than any of us can dodge safely," Clint said.

"That might not be an issue," Lucy said. "Given their semi-sentience, we've been letting them out to run every night. It necessitated holograms when they get too excited about deer and leave the property."

Clint blinked. "So two Jurassic Park dinosaurs are going to show up."

"What are you two talking about?" Steve asked.

Clint and Maggie traded glances.

Alarms blared. Two fighter jets dropped out of the sky and started firing.

"Gotta go, Doc, getting shot at." He ended the call and told Steve to hold on. He wasn't going to get shot out of the sky this time. No one was stopping him from beating a pair of dinosaurs to Maria and Natasha. "Okay, so has anyone caught you up on the Power Rangers?"

* * *

Maria raised an eyebrow at Ikter when the camouflage started to fade from the top of his head. Seeing the robot beneath was almost startling after the last hour. A panel rose from his head, and a pair of binoculars appeared. Maria made a mental note to tell Maggie and Lucy they did a great job designing the Raptors.

Peering through the binoculars, Maria grimaced. The old mine would and wouldn't be easy to get into. On the one hand, only one entrance meant no one could sneak in behind her. On the other hand, the single entrance was covered with guards.

Night had taken hold of the land, so Maria had that on her side, at least. Along with two very protective-

Shelly made an inquisitive noise and sped off back the way they had come.

"Okay, one overprotective Raptor." 

Maria went back to studying the layout of the land before her. Shelly was either destroying a threat, chasing a squirrel, or being helpful in some way Maria would soon learn about. For now, the dense forest of the mountainside was providing her enough cover. The area around the mine was stripped bare. There were, however, vehicles spread out, and the helicopter off to the side. If Maria was very good, and she could be very good, she could sneak up on the patrolling guards and slit a few necks.

The forest rustled behind her far louder than a single Raptor accounted for. Maria drew her gun and ignored the flare of pain across her ribs. Ikter turned as well, but his noise was a happy trill.

Tor and Maggie were leading a pack of people Maria honestly shouldn't have been surprised to see. Shiro carried Alex and Carter; Dana and Barton were on Emmy, and Rogers was running alongside Shelly. The Rangers were wearing black hoodies with colored bandanas covering their faces. The Raptors were glowing but were likely going unseen by the soldiers below. Maria automatically slipped her gun away and slid off Ikter when Maggie rushed over.

"I'm fine, Maggie, I'm fine," Maria said, wrapping her sister in a gentle hug.

Maggie was careful with her as she held her close. "You're bleeding from a head wound, Maria. You're not fine." She pulled back and looked over Maria. "Where else are you hurt?"

"Her ribs, if the way she's holding herself is any indication," Dana said as she approached and swung her pack around. 

Maria glared. "It really isn't fair how you can still read me after all this time."

Dana just smiled and ordered the three boys to study the land while she motioned for Maria to lift her shirt.

"It's just a seat belt bruise."

"It's three cracked ribs, is what it is." 

"Hill, we have a problem." That tone of voice only ever came out when Clint was actually worried. It was a severe and void-of-emotion tone that meant Hawkeye was going to have to pull a death-defying trick shot to pull this off.

And he barely lived to tell the tale when he pulled those stunts.

Maria dropped her shirt and joined him, taking the binoculars from Steve. "Report."

"This isn't some random group grabbing Natasha cause she's the best at what she does." He shifted and pointed to the man who had stepped out of a newly arrived car. "That's Ivan Somodorov."

"Barton, light up your beacon." Maria shoved the binoculars at Steve. "No one leaves that clearing or that mine alive." She got two steps forward before Maggie was in her face.

"Whoa, whoa, as much as it sounds weird for me to say this," Maggie said, holding out her hands, "we can't go in guns blazing. That's going to get Natasha killed."

"She's far, far, more useful to these shit-eating rat bastards alive."

Carter stood next to Maggie. "You only ever use actual swear words when you're too mad to be creative. If these people are as dangerous as you say, we need a plan."

Maria ran a hand through her hair and silently consulted with Clint. On the one hand, it wasn't their place to share this information. On the other hand….

Clint sighed as he hung his emergency beacon in a tree for Shield to locate. "If we're too late, they'll need to know."

Maria nodded once in agreement, and everyone circled up. She looked at Steve first. "You've picked up on the fact Natasha's a little more than human, yes? The KGB used a next-generation super-soldier serum on the most promising graduates of the Red Room assassin training program." She looked at the Rangers around her. "It took six months to deprogram her mind of the triggers, subconscious orders, and implanted memories. The Red Room has the power to undo EVERYTHING Natasha has worked to become since she joined Shield."

"And there's a high possibility they've already started," Clint said. "Natasha is the best to EVER come out of the Red Room. No one before or since matches her. They aren't going to kill her, they wouldn't dare. But if we don't get in there NOW, there won't be a Natasha for us to rescue."

Maggie and Alex traded looks. Maggie dug a metal case from her pocket and handed a small comm unit to Maria. "Lucy's a few miles away in our mobile command. Tor, Shiro." The two Raptors were at her side immediately. "Stealth. Get us a map. Do _not_ attack. Listen to Lucy. Go."

The two Raptors vanished from sight different ways; Tor disappeared entirely with the stealth power of the black Dinogem; Shiro rippled to match the world around him using the camouflage of the white Dinogem. They headed for the mine entrance silently.

"We need to disable all these vehicles so no one can escape so quickly," Steve said. "We don't have enough people for a perimeter."

"Carter, are you good to help me with that?" Alex asked. When she got a nod from the Red Ranger, she said, "Emmy, Shelly. Hologram up. No one leaves the clearing once you get everyone inside."

The two Raptors brought up their real dinosaur holograms and focused on the entrance, watching the pattern of movement below them.

"Me and Cap will clear a path," Clint said. "I'm going in with you, Hill."

"I'll stay out here to deal with possible reinforcements," Steve said.

Maria nodded. "Four of us and Ikter going in, then? Okay. Lucy, do you have a map yet?"

"I can walk you through the first five hundred meters. They haven't found Natasha yet."

"Let's move out," Maria ordered.

Alex and Carter snuck towards the nearest vehicle. Maria got back onto Ikter, Emmy took Dana, and Shelly shifted eagerly under Maggie. Clint set up to take out who he could before the alarm went up. Steve was ready to run alongside the Raptors and provide a battering ram.

_ Stay strong, Natasha. We're coming for you. _

* * *

Natasha stared steadily at the masked man across from her. She knew exactly who he was. She also knew he would have no memory of her. The Winter Soldier was not granted such frivolities like memories.

Natasha was likely to face the same fate. It might be kinder if she wasn't allowed to miss Maria.

Blood trickled down her ribs. She didn't shift or grimace. She was a Black Widow, and above such things. 

Fuck. _The_ Black Widow. Not 'a.' No one had held the title after her, no one was worthy enough. Damn, bullet holes dulled her mind.

The footsteps coming down the tunnel echoed in her brain, bringing up thoughts she immediately suppressed. Her past influenced her, but it did not rule her.

"Good evening, моя дорогая дочь." [My darling daughter]

Natasha didn't stop her half staring contest with the man across from her. "Those triggers were removed, Ivan." She was proud of how bored she sounded rather than pained.

"You cannot remove the truth." He set a circle of metal and wires on the table.

Natasha didn't react to the object, and neither did the Winter Soldier. Well, they both paled, but only just, only enough for each other to notice. 

"Your obedience wasn't a conditioned response," Ivan said. "You have strayed these last few years, Natalia, but you still use everything granted and taught to you. You will forever desire to be a Black Widow." He tapped on the device. "It is only a matter of reminding you where your loyalties truly lay."

"Even so, I was never loyal to Ivan Somodorov."

"But you are loyal to what I represent, and that is all I require for now."

Natasha wanted to fight back. She wanted to break the device, make a run for it, anything. But with a pint of blood already gone, the dark tunnels of the mines, and no clue what was beyond, even she wouldn't make it far. But, at least, breaking or damaging the device would buy her some time. If she could keep her mind as her own, she had a chance.

Ivan set a gun on the table in front of her. "You have a choice. You can end your own pain. You can free your old friend and mentor from his existence. Or, if you are feeling particularly foolish, you could try to stop all of us. You have two minutes."

Natasha picked up the gun and ignored the flare of pain in her shoulder as she checked it by taking it apart. Nothing was altered. It would work perfectly. She could make sure she wasn't used against her team, Maria, or the Power Rangers. Killing Ivan would also buy her time; it was unlikely anyone here was trained in the use of the device or had the authority to do more than transport her. Though there was a full clip, she would only get one shot off before facing the consequences.

The three of them weren't the only ones in this cave, and she knew that.

The gun was resting lightly in Natasha's hand when she made her decision. With a twitch of her trigger finger, she fired a bullet at the device and Ivan's stomach. There was a clatter of metal across stone and a grunt of pain. Natasha found herself dangling by her throat from the Winter Soldier's metal grip, the gun ripped out of her hand.

Two people burst from the shadows to help Ivan. Another came at her with a cattle prod to shock her. She did her best to relax against the pain of the bullet wound and chokehold. Bracing always made it hurt more-

Something very fast knocked the man with the cattle prod away. Natasha was dropped as the Winter Soldier took a swing something behind him. Natasha kept her feet under her and crouched, looking for a weapon or the source of the attacks.

Something warm snuffled her shoulder, and she heard a low growl of affection.

Invisible Raptors. How was this her life? She used her good arm to reach up and find the Raptor's neck and quickly followed it down a surprisingly smooth surface to it's back. Once she was on, a Jurassic Park Raptor rippled into existence. She smirked at the surprised looks she was getting.

The Raptors needed no orders from her. They were racing out of the cave a moment later.

* * *

"Tor and Shiro found Natasha."

Maria felt relief flood her for a moment. It didn't last because she knew better than to think "found" meant "safe." In the pitch darkness of the empty tunnel, she closed her eyes for a few moments.

"They're heading your way," Lucy said, "with trouble on their tails."

"I expect nothing less," Clint muttered. Louder, he asked, "How bad off is she?"

Lucy hesitated. "I caught sight of a lot of blood through Tor's eye cam."

Maria felt her heart rate pick up even if she didn't outwardly react. "Hey, Dana, how's your field medicine training?"

"Depends. How resistant is Natasha going to be?"

Maria felt Ikter rumble beside her moments before Tor's golden eyes flashed in the darkness. Shiro was growling and keeping an eye on something advancing behind them. Maria climbed onto Tor and settled behind Natasha carefully. The tunnels were dark but for the colored lights coming from the eyes of the Raptors. 

Maria couldn't see the source of blood, but she felt too much of it.

"I'll live, Maria," Natasha murmured, resting far too much of her weight against Maria.

"You better."

The Raptors turned and headed back for the entrance. Given the position of glowing eyes, Maria, Natasha, and Tor were in the middle of the group. Shiro was still growling at something, but no one was shooting at them.

"Hey, Romanoff," Clint called from the front of the group.

"Hey, Barton," Natasha called back, voice rusty.

"I thought we agreed to no more one-person field trips."

"Barton." She sounded well and truly exasperated. "We're spies. I lied."

"Asshole."

Maria used the cover of darkness to duck her head and press her lips to Natasha's pulse. Natasha tilted her head to do the same to Maria's temple.

"You're hurt," Natasha murmured, tasting blood on her lips.

"Pot, meet kettle," Maria muttered. She straightened up when she saw the entrance of the mine, marked by Cap standing under a spotlight. 

The clearing was still under their control. Alex and Carter had bound and gathered the Red Room soldiers in the center and set Shelly to guard them. Maria pointed Tor towards a flatbed truck. Dana helped her lay Natasha on the tarp and Dana pulled a headlamp out of her jacket. The beam of light revealed just how bad off Natasha was.

"We need to evac her," Dana said even as she got to work.

Maria pulled her eyes away from Natasha's blood-covered shoulder. "Barton, check the beacon."

He took off running and leaped onto Emmy when she caught up to him. 

"Carter, Alex, did you touch the copt-"

Shiro growled and was joined by Ikter at the entrance to the mines. A masked soldier with a metal arm stepped into the spotlight. From one hand, he dragged Ivan Somodorov; the other held a twisted piece of metal and made something in Maria's stomach churn.

"Who is it?" Natasha asked. Maria didn't have to get far in describing him before Natasha said, "Don't kill him. Help me sit up."

"Nat-"

"He's like me, Maria." Natasha actually sounded like she was in real pain. "Worse. They took away his free will."

Maria took a deep breath. With Dana's help, Natasha was sitting up and leaning against her. Maria knew Clint was making sure Natasha wouldn't have a chance to regret this course of action. There was a reason the sniper hadn't reported back, after all.

"солдат," Natasha said in Russian, clear and without emotion. [Soldier]

The man looked in their direction. 

"ты мне доверяешь?" [Do you trust me]

He let Ivan's unconscious body drop, then tossed the device on top of him. Slowly and with large motions, he disarmed himself. There were far more weapons than Maria was honestly expecting even from a Red Room project.

The next phrase Natasha said was nothing Maria could translate. It resulted in the soldier dropping like a stone into unconsciousness.

"What the fuck?" Maggie asked as Steve and Carter approached the mine's entrance.

Maria and Dana lay Natasha back down even as she said, "I didn't think that shutdown code would work." She promptly lost consciousness.

From the mine entrance, Steve's gasp echoed through the clearing.

"Bucky?!"

* * *

Maria opened the blanket as Maggie sat next to her on the roof. The thermos was cracked open, and Maria smelled the heavenly scent of hot cocoa. She took a sip before passing it back to her twin.

"Your house is not big enough for all these people," Maria said, looking down at the campfire in the front yard. Half a dozen former evil Rangers, including Alex, were sitting with Bucky, Natasha, and Clint. A meeting of like minds, as it were.

Maggie shrugged. "The weather's gonna hold if they spend the night in truck beds, and I have enough blankets for the living room floor. Won't be the worst place they've slept."

"I'm calling dibs on the guest room."

Laughter erupted behind them, and Maria glanced over her shoulder. In the backyard, Maria's Lightspeed Rescue teammates and Colonel Rhodes were keeping Steve occupied. Steve had taken mother-henning to a whole new level with Bucky, who was amazingly patient in allowing it. Still, having them apart would be healthy for them both.

In the basement, Maria hoped Ikter was doing his job of making sure Tony, Bruce, and Lucy didn't blow up anything. Maggie claimed Lucy was the most level headed of the Ranger techs due to never having powers influence her drive to go overboard with protecting the planet. Maria, however, knew how much of a bad influence Tony Stark could be under the right circumstances.

Besides, Lucy had a hand in creating semi-sentient velociraptors. That was not the work of a sane, level headed person.

"Bit different from the last time we did this," Maggie said.

Maria thought back to when they were thirteen, sitting bundled up on the carport roof, hoping for even the faintest of aurora in the silent winter night. "Bit better since the last time we did this."

Maggie leaned her head against Maria's. "Yeah." She pointed out into the night. "Shooting star. Make a wish."

Maria followed the path of fading light until it vanished. "Don't need a wish. Already got everything I need right here."


End file.
